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How to roll a filter-free cigarette using a tube loader

EpicToasty

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Alright, I haven't seen any tutorials for this, but I'm sure someone else has already figured it out.

The objective here is to use a tube loader (like a Top-o-matic or Powermatic) to load a rolled rolling paper (like a Raw or a Zig-Zag).
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Step 1) Roll a paper around a pen. The pictured pen works perfectly for rolling a paper into a tube that fits the tube mount on the tube loader.20221115_013734.jpg
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Step 2) Place the tube on the mount of the tube loader and load the desired amount of Tobacco. It may take some tweaking depending on what papers and shred size you use. Be sure to fill the edges of the fill chamber first.
For reference, I am using Raw 1 1/4 size papers, and my tube loader is configured for 100mm filter tubes.
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Step 3) Place your finger on the open end of the tube, and with your other hand operate the crank handle on your tube loader to load the cigarette. By placing your finger over the end of the tube, it will prevent the Tobacco from spilling out the end and will cause the cigarette to pop off of the mount at the end of the crank handle travel distance, like a filter tube would. Retract the crank handle to free the cigarette from the mechanism.
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Step 4) Roll the cigarette between your fingers a bit to ensure it's not too tight and there are no tight spots. Alternately if the cigarette is a bit loose pack it by tapping it.
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Step 5) Use scissors or another appropriate tool to cut the scraggly ends off for clean looking ends, if desired.
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And there ya have it. I just figured this out tonight, I'm sure other people have figured this out before but I haven't seen a guide on this anywhere, so I figured I'd post it here. It's a fun new way for me to make cigarettes using a device I usually reserve for shreds that don't roll well by hand or for when my hands don't wanna be as dexterous as I like. Enjoy :)
 

pottsS

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If I recall from the 1970s, when I used to hand roll cigarettes from a little cloth bag of Bull Durham flake tobacco, it took about 30 seconds to roll one.

Bob

View attachment 44189
Depending on the traffic...sometimes when you can only free up one hand it takes a little longer. That's why I stuck with rolling papers so long...the injectors at the time were just too slow! I thought I used less tobacco too...but when I started using tubes and actually weighed tubes vs rolled I found out otherwise! Besides that...with whole leaf tobacco when I went to buy papers without buying tobacco I felt a little judged!
 

EpicToasty

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Personally I like having a few rolled up in advance with regard to driving. I've only successfully rolled one handed twice, and let's just say my brain was augmented by other herbs at the time. At home my go to is to roll them by hand, usually, but I like experimenting a bit. Sometimes I find it satisfying to fill a cigarette case or pack with hand rolled smokes, something about looking at a full case or pack that tickles my feelings.

I'd recently watched a black and white short film showing filter free smokes being loaded with a rolled piece of paper, so I wanted to see if I could adapt a similar technique with my tube loader. Here's the original video
View: https://youtu.be/xWEJycPS5p8


As for using a whole leaf tube, if I can get my hands on some cellulose I'll give it a try. Do you think a strip of VFC would work or do you think it needs to be a Burley or similar?
 

BristolBaccy

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I've been thinking if @EpicToasty 's method could be used to roll cheroot-style cigs, with leaf rather than paper.
What do you think? I need to get some glue & try it - I've got some nice large leaf Virginia that might do the trick. Only problem I can see initially would be the leaf might be too moist to get off the pen, unless I roll/glue it like a paper rather than a cigar.
 

Knucklehead

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I've been thinking if @EpicToasty 's method could be used to roll cheroot-style cigs, with leaf rather than paper.
What do you think? I need to get some glue & try it - I've got some nice large leaf Virginia that might do the trick. Only problem I can see initially would be the leaf might be too moist to get off the pen, unless I roll/glue it like a paper rather than a cigar.
These work well for cigarillos. I use them with cigar scrap.
Juicy Jay's roller

I just found one for 5" cigars, but I don't own one.
Juicy Jay's 5" cigar roller
 

Knucklehead

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Aha, I never thought of a rolling machine possibility. Do you use natural leaf or those retail wrap things?
I use natural leaf. Bob posted an image of a cigarillo wrapper cut. If you orient it correctly and hold the triangular end your fingers prevent the wrapper from unraveling without glue.


edit: here is a photo of some cigarillos with two different sized rollers.

 

Old Gasman

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Thank you @EpicToasty, you got me started on all these classic tobacco videos! I am thinking about bringing this old cigarette style back…haha!!
View: https://youtu.be/PrldWmzUoNE
What a super little film, especially the part with the rose petals. Although I've never seen rose petal filters I remember smoking Sobranie Cocktails. Each filter was a different colour and they looked very sophisticated.
 

slouch

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If I recall from the 1970s, when I used to hand roll cigarettes from a little cloth bag of Bull Durham flake tobacco, it took about 30 seconds to roll one.

Bob
Man I remember myfather finding one of these empty sacks In some stuff he bought back in the day. How did this stuff smoke?
 

deluxestogie

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Let's see... How did it smoke over a half-century ago? I can't recall. I purchased a bag more than once, if that says anything.

Bob
 
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